Movers and Shakers for June 3

Bristol Bay Industrial Fuels LLC has selected Sean P. Thomas, PMP, RES, as senior vice president, chief operating officer. He will assume oversight of Bristol Alliance Fuels, an Alaska-based distributor of fuel products to commercial and residential customers in the Dillingham area of the Bristol Bay region. Thomas comes to the organization with deep experience in the Western Alaska fuel market as the former vice president of Crowley Fuels’ marine division. A former Alaska Journal of Commerce Top Forty Under 40 award recipient, Thomas graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alaska Anchorage with an MBA. He also holds a master’s degree in marine resource management from Texas A&M University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Notre Dame.

Sitnasuak Native Corp. announced that Vera Eggerman has joined Sitnasuak Applied Technologies LLC based in Anchorage as the new proposal manager, effective May 8. She oversees all applied technologies company proposals with federal and commercial customers. Eggerman has more than 20 years of experience in business development and marketing, with a primary focus on developing and managing competitive bids ranging in value from $5 million to $250 million. She brings valuable experience with Alaska Native corporations, including Arctic Slope Regional Corp., Calista Corp., and Bering Straits Native Corp. Eggerman has an associate’s degree in business administration and is originally from Emmonak.

Alaska Regional Hospital CEO Julie Taylor has joined First National Bank Alaska’s board of directors. Taylor arrived at Alaska Regional in December 2013. Before then, she was the CEO of West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho. Prior to that, Taylor was the chief operating officer at The Medical Center of Aurora in Denver.

Kelley Groth has joined Evergreen Business Capital as senior vice president and sales manager. Groth was most recently the senior vice president and Small Business Administration portfolio manager at Banner Bank, successor to AmericanWest Bank, where she was the manager of the SBA Department since 2012. Based out of Washington state, Groth will oversee all activity of Evergreen’s 504 sales activity in Alaska and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. With more than 15 years of small business lending experience specializing in sales, credit administration, and portfolio management, she is a graduate of Lewis-Clark State College, the Washington Banker’s Executive Development Program and a recipient of the Washington State SBA Financial Services Advocate of the Year award. Evergreen Business Capital has been originating loans in Alaska since 2002.

Chugach Electric Association members re-elected Jim Henderson and elected Rachel Morse to the utility’s board of directors. Henderson and Morse will serve four-year terms. Of Chugach’s 68,822 members of record, 6,789, or 9.9 percent, cast ballots in the 2018 election. Henderson was first elected to the board in 2011 and re-elected in 2014. Morse was appointed to the board in December to fill a position left vacant when then-Chair Janet Reiser stepped down after serving for 10 years.

First Alaskans Institute announced three new hires and a promotion. Inuuteq Stotts was hired as indigenous and governmental affairs strategist; Kacey Purruq Qunmigu Hopson as indigenous knowledge advocate to advance the work of FAI’s Alaska Native Policy Center; and Jacqui
Igluguq Lambert as assistant to the president/CEO. Prior to FAI, Stotts worked with the Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat in the role of research and project assistant. Prior to this role, he worked as an anthropologist for ASRC Energy Services doing archaeology research and documentation and stakeholder engagement in the North Slope area. Stotts holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied anthropology with experience in project management, qualitative research, and advancing cross-cultural communications through facilitating public information sessions. Hopson was born and raised in Utqiagvik and Anchorage and graduated from Pomona College with a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis. Hopson recently served as an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer at FAI where she was focused on helping to diversify and increase the long-term sustainability of the organization. Prior to FAI, she was a Summer Policy Associate with the Environmental Equity team at the Greenlining Institute, where she developed her skills in race equity advocacy and public policy research. Lambert grew up in Kotzebue and has roots in Kiana and Noorvik. She studied psychology at the University of Idaho and is the owner of EsquiMedia, which runs The Qargizine, a quarterly print publication aimed to promote knowledge and pride of Alaska Native cultures within today’s generations. Prior work experience includes working as a production artist with Northwest Strategies, language nest assistant in the Native Village of Kotzebue and Arctic youth representative for the Indigenous Peoples’ Center for Documentation. Elizabeth Uyurucian David has been promoted to finance director. Born and raised in Bethel with an extensive career within the financial institution industry, David recently joined FAI as finance manager. She graduated from University of Alaska Fairbanks last month with an MBA focused on general management.

NANA Regional Corp. recently appointed four individuals to new positions within the family of companies. In addition to the employees listed below, John Hendrix will step in to the role of president of NANA’s Commercial Group. Hendrix most recently served as Gov. Bill Walker’s chief oil and gas advisor. Harold Hollis has been selected for the new position of vice president, engineering and construction within NANA’s Commercial Group. Hollis will be accountable for Kuna Engineering in addition to NANA Construction. Jay Hermanson has been selected to lead Kuna Engineering as the operations manager. Hermanson has worked within NANA companies for 14 years in various roles including director of energy and infrastructure, energy and resources project manager, and business development manager. Fred Elvsaas has been selected as the general manager for NANA Construction. Elvsaas, a lifelong Alaskan from Seldovia, has been with the company since 2009 and has 18 years of oilfield construction and fabrication experience. Märit Carlson-Van Dort has been hired as the director of external and government affairs for NANA. Carlson-Van Dort has extensive background in external affairs including regional engagement, client relations and engaging with legislative and regulatory bodies.